Aurubis gives safety vests to all preschool and primary school children in Olen

At the start of the new school year, Aurubis is putting the spotlight on road safety with a literally “eye-catching” initiative. The multi-metal company from Olen is giving safety vests to all preschool and primary school children in Olen. In doing so, Aurubis joins forces with the 5 local schools to emphasize safety on the way to and from school. In total, more than 1,500 vests will be distributed.

The initiative is in line with the safety measures already in place within the company. “Safety is the way to go – at Aurubis, we agree. On the shop floor, we continuously focus on safety and safety awareness, for example through specialized workwear and training for our employees. By making all Olen schoolchildren highly visible in traffic, we contribute to a safe school start and strengthen our connection with local families and schools,” says Karel Docker, Sustainability Director at Aurubis Olen and Beerse.

The safety vests were personally handed out by several Aurubis colleagues in the run-up to the first school day. Each vest carries the logo of both the school and Aurubis. Teachers from Free Primary School De Knipoog, Municipal Primary School De Kriebel, Toermalijn, Municipal Primary School De Kleine Wijzer, and Primary School Willem Tell gratefully accepted the vests.

“At our school De Knipoog, we strongly emphasize road safety. Last school year, our pupils experienced firsthand in the basement of our school buildings how big the difference is between being visible with hi-vis clothing and invisible without it. The reactions were overwhelming: everyone was impressed. The safety vests we now receive from Aurubis Olen are truly the icing on the cake. Starting this school year, wearing a safety vest will therefore be mandatory for all pupils on their way to and from school,” says Marlies Storms, Principal of Primary School De Knipoog in Olen.

The donation is also warmly welcomed at Primary School De Kriebel: “We believe it is important that our pupils feel both safe and seen. Thanks to the support of Aurubis Olen, visibility on the way to and from school increases, and we can also safely set out with our pupils during extracurricular activities. Every child receives a safety vest – a visible sign of care and connection,” says Hanne Cloots from the Parent Committee of Primary School De Kriebel in Olen. “This initiative fits perfectly with one of the pillars of our educational project: ‘Our school … together on the way’, in which we actively work together to give our pupils every opportunity,” Cloots concludes.

“At our Toermalijn school, we consider (traffic) safety very important and encourage our parents and students to travel to and from school as safely and visibly as possible. With a proper high-visibility vest, you stand out, and that is very important. We are happy that Aurubis has provided our school with brand-new vests—we all wear them, every single day. Thank you, Aurubis!” Ruben Veraghtert, Toermalijn Olen

Two Aurubis sites in the Kempen

In Beerse, home to Aurubis’ second Kempen-based site, the company is organizing the same initiative in all local preschool and primary schools. “As an employer in these regions, we feel strongly connected to the community. Many colleagues have children attending these schools themselves. That makes an initiative like this even more meaningful,” emphasizes Hans Van de Water, Managing Director of Aurubis Olen and Aurubis Beerse. “With this project, Aurubis is addressing an important concern: ensuring children can travel to school safely and raising safety awareness from a young age. It fits perfectly with our safety vision as well as our social engagement program ‘together we care’,” concludes Van de Water.

Aurubis Beerse and Aurubis Olen are part of the Aurubis Group, a leading global provider of non-ferrous metals and one of the largest copper recycling companies in the world. Caring for each other and the environment is a core value at Aurubis.

Aurubis Olen operates as a high-performance metal recycling plant within the Aurubis smelter network, processing blister, copper, and multi-metal recycling materials. The company employs more than 700 people and produces copper cathodes, copper wire rod (Rod), oxygen-free copper rod (Foxrod), and busbars and profiles (Bars & Profiles) through electrorefining. The Beerse site also operates an electrorefining division and processes complex recycling materials, ranging from highly complex residues to high-grade scrap types. From these, the company produces metals, metal products, and minerals. Aurubis Beerse employs more than 500 people.